IE GO: Our daughter
by Birdincage2903
Summary: Shindou was heartbroken when he saw Kirino with someone else. Because of this, the two best friends fell further apart as time went by. In the mix of confusion, an unexpected connection was formed between them. Will their love finally be enough to fix this gap? Or will the boys feelings backfire on them? Main Takuran ; Some ShindouxAkanexKirino ; Slight Kyouten.
1. Separation

**Ok… since I'm running short on inspiration for my last story (IE GO: The story of love), I decided to try this new idea out first. However, the first chapter will have some warnings: character death (seriously guys… if you are not comfortable with this, you shouldn't read ok.), a bit of glummy feelings I think, and a new writing style that can be completely confusing. V.V"**

**This chapter is more like an experimental try out for this new way of writing. I have wanted to have someone much more experienced to beta read it first, but I couldn't contact her for the last few days... so I decided to post it anyway. The following chaps will return to normal though, so if you don't like it, don't worry. ^^-**

**So… anyone who hasn't freaked out with the warnings, please enjoy…**

**Disclaimer: I don't own IE (GO)**

**Chap 1: Separation**

It was just a coincidence.

He was walking along the hall after a talk with their coach when he saw them, hugging, kissing each other passionately, feeling completely safe under the dark hallway. And at that very moment, his heart shattered to pieces upon seeing the one he loved sharing such intimacy with someone other than him.

The boy stood in daze as the bag slipped right off his hand and onto the floor, creating a thug sound that echoed through the corridor...

Alerted by the thumping noise, the defender jumped and immediately shoved the blue hair boy away. However, an even more shocking sight awaited him when he slowly realized who the intruder that interrupted them was.

"S-Shindou…!"

The Raimon former captain didn't say anything. Instead, he made a quick full turn and stormed away from the place, trying to ignore his best friend's desperate calling.

He had been in love with him... Yes. He had been madly in love with his best friend for god knows how long now… Ever since their childhood when they first met, throughout their struggling junior high experience, and until this very moment when they were finally in their final year of Raimon… Yes. His love for the other had never faded even a tiny bit. But he could never bring himself to even voice out that undoubtedly unrequited feeling.

He thought that it would be fine, as long as they were together forever, even just as best friends.

But he was wrong…

The boy's feet gradually stopped on their own when he realized that he had managed to cut off his friend. Shindou leaned against a nearby wall as he tried to steady his still thumping heart and panting breathing... His body slid down until he sat on the floor with his head hung down. The image of his friend at that moment kept invading his mind, not giving him even a moment of rest to figure out what to do. Before the boy even realized it, tears started to form in his eyes.

...

...

"Shin-sama…?"

* * *

His relationship with the chestnut hair manager was announced a few days after to the whole team.

She might not be the one he loved right now, but the kind, gentle girl always made his heart feel at peace. She never asked him what happened, knowing that he wouldn't want to tell. She was just happy to be by his side. And that silent comfort was more than enough to ease away his misery, making his affection for her grow every day. And he truly believed that he could love her back just as much as she loved him one day.

The reactions among the team were different. Some were more than happy for both of them, shaking his hand, congratulating the new relationship. Others were surprised, very surprised, especially some of his closet companies. They had already realized the feeling he harbored for a certain beautiful boy, so his choice came to them as more than just stunning news...

And then, there was him…

The pink hair boy looked like he was struck by the announcement too. He kept looking at him, as if pleading the other to tell him that this was just a bad dream. But Shindou didn't really pick up the reaction that way. In fact, the brunet wished for nothing more than to be as far away from the defender as possible right now... Because he knew, the peace that he just found with Akane would have been crushed if he was too close to the one he truly loved...

With those thoughts in mind, the prodigy squeezed the manager's tiny hand and led her out of the room, walking right pass his best friend. Before the automatic door was fully closed, he could still catch a glimpse of a certain blue hair boy approaching the fellow defender with a sly smile.

_This is for the best…_

The boy thought in silence as pain slipped through his brown orbs. A hand was brought to his face as he raised his head to see the girl's gentle smile.

"Thank you…"

He whispered to her before the two of them walked away from the clubroom together.

* * *

The connection between him and the shy manager lasted for three long years. And their relationship had been loving and peaceful. After all, their personalities matched perfectly. She is shy, quiet and a wonderful listener. He is caring, protective, and needed someone to hear his thoughts when he got too emotional. They got along well…

Of course, there were many times when she couldn't understand all the things that he said, especially when it came to soccer. But she would always listen nevertheless. And like he had predicted, he feelings for her did grow stronger and stronger as time went by.

However, after they entered their respective high school, he barely got any word about a certain azure eye boy anymore. There had been rumors that the pink hair defender had broken up with his junior lover after he finished his last year. But other than that, it was a mystery where he went to afterward. He never contacted any of their friends either. It was almost as if he was trying to avoid Shindou at all cost.

The Raimon former captain had tried to find out where his best friend has disappeared to. But all of his efforts were in vain. Not even the boy's parents would tell him where he was, saying that it was Kirino himself who requested this kind of personal space from his friends. Bothered as he was about the other, there was no way he could invade the boy's life against his wish. Besides… it wouldn't be fair to his girlfriend if he kept chasing a shadow from the past, especially when it was from someone whom he loved. Even if the manager herself said she wasn't troubled by his actions, he knew that there was a limit he must keep. After all, he had always been responsible for the people around him. And he didn't intend to throw that one quality away, not when he was still in the relationship with her...

That is, until the day when his father decided to send him away to another country. The brunet was put in a position where he must choose between his family and the manager. And as much as he had grown to love her over the years, as much affection and peaceful moments she had given him throughout their relationship… in the end, his feeling was simply not enough for him to throw away his own family…

She didn't want him to go. She asked him to stay. Even on the day when he departed, she still cried those sorrowful tears. No words from their friends could reach her, no promises he made could calm her distressed soul. And with a heavy heart he walked away, guilt eating through his entire body. That was the only time she had ever pled something from him, and yet, he couldn't fulfill her wish.

And that thought continued to hunt him for the next six years...

* * *

The brunet was so invaded by remorse that he didn't realize a pair of sad azure eyes watching them silently from a distance. Kirino stood there as he witnessed his friend's departure, knowing that this could very well be the last time he ever saw the one he loved again…

For years, he had loved the brunet with all his soul and heart. If only that night hadn't happened, if only he had had enough courage to confess his feelings, then things probably wouldn't have come to this…

The boy stood there in silence for hours after his best friend's leave. He finally released a heavy sigh as his body dropped down to the floor. The defender just stayed there, hiding his face into his arms until he heard quiet sobbing sounds. The boy raised his face up to see the lavender eye manager crying silently to herself over a nearby bench. All of their friends had already gone home, respecting her wish to be alone… The girl looked so heartbroken and devastate, the sight suddenly reminded the pink hair boy of himself two years ago.

After a while of hesitating, Kirino finally decided to stand up from his spot, adjust his clothes and walk to her side.

Seeing a shadow approaching her, the girl looked up to see a face she hadn't seen in a very long time. She was startled to say the least. The manager was so surprised that she almost fell out of her sit upon calling out his name. The pink hair boy had to reach out to stable her so that the girl wouldn't fall. But her rather cute reaction managed to make him muse to himself nevertheless.

After the quiet manager had calmed herself, was he convinced that it was ok to sit down. He started asking her if she was alright or she needed anything. The shy manager just looked down embarrassingly as she stuttered out her reassuring answers.

He smiled gently at her.

A moment of silence passed before she asked him why he didn't come out when the brunet was still here. He was caught off guard… He didn't imagine that she would be the one to start another conversation, let alone asking him such question. But then again, she was Shindou's girlfriend, so the inquiring wasn't that abnormal.

"I… just can't…"

He said simply without looking at her. The girl stared at him with compassion in her lavender eyes.

"But you love him… don't you?"

For a moment, azure eyes widened a bit when he looked at her. But then, as if realizing how natural it was that she also knew about his feelings, the boy just averted his eyes away again and answered with a sad tone. "Yeah… But it's alright…"

Silence once again embraced the air around them. He looked to his right to see her looking down with sorrowful eyes. And they just stayed there in quiet until her whispering voice was once again voiced.

" No it's not…"

"Huh…?"

"… It's not alright…"

The boy didn't have any time to react when the girl continued again with her head looking down and her hands squeezing the fabric of her dress.

"I didn't want him to spend so much time practicing alone... I didn't want him to keep distance with me… I wanted to eat lunch with him, to walk to school with him… I wanted him to talk to me more, to learn more about me… I... I wanted to be the only one for him… to be enough to make him sta-" Tears started falling as she was interrupted by her own sob.

"… Akane..."

The girl took in a deep breath as she continued, her body kept shivering non-stop.

"I… I wanted him to say he loved me…"

Akane's voice finally broke the moment the last words were heard. Her tears finally burst out again as Kirino wrapped his arms around her to pull her closer. Her tears drenched the fabric of his shirt and yet she couldn't stop crying.

"But I didn't say i-it… I… I thought that it was alright, a-as long as I can be with him… If only I had shared my thoughts with him too. If only I had allowed him to love me too… B-But I didn't…" The girl hiccupped into her words, stuttered between her crying voices.

"I _was_ the one who kept him from my heart…"

Kirino tightened his hold on her shoulder. The pink hair male didn't know what to say. Her words had spoken out his mind too; his guilt, his regrets, everything… Yes. If only he had said those words and been true to his feelings, things might have been different; there might still be hope…

But he didn't.

And that was the reality. There was nothing he could do now. There was no longer anything that could connect him to the brunet anymore... The one he love was gone, possibly forever. And that was the only truth…

"Kirino san…"

The boy looked down at the girl. Her tears had yet to cease falling down from her eyes. He sat in baffle as she held onto his one hand and led it to an unexpected place. He was startled but she kept his hand on her abdomen as she looked deep into his azure eyes.

For one moment, he didn't understand.

But then, it struck him...

He looked back at her with stretched out eyes. "Akane… you…"

" I wanted him to see our child too..."

And with that sad smile, she collapsed into his arms.

* * *

Akane had made herself clear. Yes... She confirmed after he took her to the hospital, that except from him and her parents, she didn't want anyone else to know about the unexpected news.

Her parents were still upset about her having a baby at such young age. They had wanted to contact the Shindou resident to demand for some responsibilities, but their daughter insisted otherwise, resorting in the first fight she had ever had with them… Upset with their daughter's sudden stubbornness, the couple barely came again after that day.

The defender found he couldn't leave the girl alone in such situation. And the result was him coming to visit her every day, bringing flowers, asking her about her health…

At first, it was just an act of sympathy.

But then, the more he talked to her, the more he came to enjoy her presence. Her kind smile when she talked about things she loved, her curious eyes when she listened to him telling about himself, her funny reactions when she was scared or startled… And before he knew it, he found himself laughing along with her and looking forward to meeting her again the next day.

One time, they actually talked about the baby and her parents. And he could see it, the sadness hidden behind her smile.

The very next day, he was walking down the hallway of the hospital when he heard yelling sound coming out of her room. He rushed to where she was to see her mother shouting at her with tears rolling down her face. Akane was on the verge of tears too. Her father tried to calm his wife down but it was useless, the woman was just devastated for her own daughter...

"Who..? Who would take you now that you had that _thing _in your stomach…?"

The girl had tried to keep her expression blank but tears had already fallen down across her face. Kirino stood there in silence as he watched the sight in shock… But then, the pink hair boy tightened his hand... It was always like this. He always acted like a coward, never dared to speak out his mind, never dared to take an action on his own. That was what caused him his first love. But it won't happen again this time…He knew what he felt for her. Even if the feeling itself was still fresh and illuminating, he knew that it was there. And for him, that was enough...

"I would."

The entire family in that room was startled by his respond. He could see how shock Akane was, looking at him with widened eyes. He walked to her side, squeezed his hand around her tiny ones as he said the words he had never had the courage to voice out his entire life…

" I like you Yamana Akane..."

* * *

It sounded simple, their decision, he marrying her, becoming the child's father to keep her reputation from being spoiled by neighboring gossip. But there was much more to it than that.

It took him one full month to convince her about his feeling and another month about the decision he made to be with her and the baby. And then there was her parent's reluctance, his family's disapproval, and many efforts to keep their friends from finding out. After all, it was her wish to keep her pregnancy from Shindou, and telling the Raimon company would be the same as calling the brunet and yelling into the his ears that she was having _his_ child without _him_ knowing.

No, as trustworthy as their friends are on the soccer field, they were simply not an option…

Thankfully, through some connections, he managed to get help from a nurse named Fuyuka who was a former Raimon manager back in coach Endou's days and she was more than willing to help out her fellow manager and him.

He learned unimaginable things about pregnancy and baby, went to every single one of their practice sessions and almost had a heart attack when he saw _the _video that every soon-to-be-father had to see. (Thankfully he didn't faint like many other older men standing there…)

After her baby came, their families finally put all their grudges behind and decided to help out the young couple, for the sake of the little new born girl. Even the manager's mother who had been distraught over the news at first was now holding her grandchild lovingly in her arms and smiling at him gratefully. They had decided, the two families would take turn taking care of the baby so that they could continue their studies until they are ready to support their own new one.

And soon enough, three years had passed and he was invited to become candidate for the National Team after two years he entered a university for talented soccer players. The couple enjoyed their time together and even decided to stay at the same place, a small apartment near his family's house. They had a simple, romantic wedding at the church with only their family members. The chestnut hair manager became his loving wife and he became the official father of her daughter, the little three years old girl with brown wavy hair like a certain someone and her mother's beautiful lavender eyes. He fell in love with her the moment she called him "dad".

And he couldn't be happier with his wife, whom he found himself loving more and more everyday. Their love for the same boy never stood between them. He cherished the way she felt for the prodigy, and she treasured his undying love for his best friend… If anything, it became a special feeling that bonded them together, giving them a new kind of connection that added more to their own love.

Everything was turning out to be perfect for them. And it would seem that their happiness was becoming an eternal one, that nothing could ever go wrong...

Until that day…

* * *

He was on his way home after a long day of practice when he could hear crying sound coming from their house. He knew that crying… He dumped his bag right at that spot and ran toward the door to slam it wide open.

She was lying on the floor with little Utau crying by her side, obviously upset from not being able to wake her mother up.

After he took her to the hospital, they said that she was infected with a rare disease... Months of treating passed and yet she never showed a sign of recovering. If anything, her face was becoming more and more pale every day.

Her body didn't respond to the treatment they said.

And that there was nothing they could do they said…

But he just couldn't believe it. He didn't even want to try. How could they even suggest him such thing? She was just healthy just months ago. They just became a real family for one mere year. Their daughter was only four. How could they even say such things? Why are they saying it again and again like that?

He was devastated. He didn't even realize her waking when he sat next to her bed until she reached out her hand and intertwined it with him. He raised his head to see her warm smile.

"You are up…" He said as he kissed her hand tenderly.

She laughed quietly at his touch. He couldn't believe how much he had missed her laugh just from a few days of not hearing it. How could he ever live without it again now… He couldn't. There was no way he could.

Tears started to roll down across his face and no matter how much he tried he couldn't stop them from flowing.

"I love you…" He chanted those words again and again. He was so afraid that if he didn't say them out loud now, she would go away and leave him alone… She smiled sadly before holding out her hand and embraced him softly, comforting him with her touch.

Ever since that day, he never left her side. They still laughed together, making jokes, sharing kisses and loving nights. Her health never got any better but she didn't care. She was happy just being with him and their daughter.

After months of bedridden, her time finally came, and she accepted it with a peaceful mind and a smile. She only looked at him tenderly as she whispered into his ears.

"Thank you… for loving me… I'm so happy."

He kissed her lips between his tears. Those were her last words to him…

* * *

Their friends only learned of the news a few days after her private funeral with family members, which was too one of her last wishes. They all came to shed their tears and share their condolence with the family... He was standing behind the door watching them in silence. After all, it was his words to keep everything a secret until the end, and no matter what happened, he never intended to break that promise to her…

Everyone was there: Midori , Tenma, Shinsuke... even Minamisawa san. They were all surprised and upset by her sudden departure. Even the toughest manager was crying out loud all the tears she had. The red head had always treated the shy girl like her own sister, and he knew that this lost was just as painful for her as it was for him...

For the pink hair male, after he lost her, everything lost its meaning...

His sense of duty at first had become love, true love… He couldn't believe how much he had come to love her, how much he already missed her presence in his life…

He missed the way she could talk about their daughter for hours non-stop… the way she would take thousands of picture of their family every time they went out on weekends…

He missed the way she bid him goodbye every morning with a soft peck on his cheek… the way she still blushed adorably to this day whenever he kissed her back on her lips…

He missed the way she always welcomed him home with that heart-warming smile and those three little words.

_I love you…_

Rain started to fall as they melted into the water dripping down from his eyes…

"I love you too.."

* * *

The day after her funeral, he refused his position as a player of the National Team. The schedule of a professional footballer was simply too intense and consumed too much time to be a single father at the same time. And he wanted to be able to take care of the child she left for him on his own, so he bad to cut short his learning in the university. That's the only way he could make it up for her and their daughter.

After that, he applied and was accept for a job as one of the National Team trainers. The money was barely enough, but he could change shift whenever he wanted if anything happened unexpectedly. In the evening he worked as a bartender at a nearby bar, trying to earn more comfort for their life.

So his life was like that, bringing his daughter to her kindergarten in the afternoon to go to the soccer field, leaving her at the daycare in the evening so that he could go to the bar, and picking her up after his late shift was done. In the morning he would make her breakfast and do the chores around the house until it was time for her to go classes again.

_Yes I don't have the leisure to think about my dream right now… _

Soon… with all the overwhelming works, time passed by like a flash. Before he even realized it, one year was already gone.

And another one came with the past that he had left behind...

* * *

**Ok… **

**How was it? Was it too rush? O.O  
**

**And yeah, not much Takuran yet in the first chapter, but it will get better. ^^-  
**

**Anyway, if you have any opinions on this new writing style or simply a comment, just give them to me in the review ok! XD**

**See you guys next time! ;)  
**


	2. Renuion

**OMG you guys! Thank you sooooooo much for all of your wonferful comments! Seriously, I didn't think it could be such a success! I mean I barely hoped that you guys could keep up with the plot. But the reviews... they were just... you guys made me speechless too! XD**

**Maybe I really should use this style again one day. Now that I know it works quite well... ^^-  
**

**Anyway! Yes, OMG, You guy are all so wonderful! I want to thank all of you for the reviews, the favs and follows, or just simply dropping by to read. (Thank to something called _traffic graph_ that I think they just added in my "managed story", I was able to see how many people visited my story... And well, obviously, I spent a whole day staring at it non-stop! XD )They all mean so much to me and make me grinning like an idiot.**

**Well, again, thank you sooo much! But I think I better begin the story now before I start babbling out of happiness again...-laugh awkwardly-  
**

**Here's the next chapter! Please enjoy~  
**

**Disclaimer: I don't own IE (GO)  
**

**Chap 2: Renuion  
**

"Here your teaaaa, At chan~ "

"Utau, remember to put At chan back to where she was after your tea time is done."

The pink hair male called out as he walked to balcony with a basket of laundries in his hands. However, before he could even begin to hang them up, the boy jumped as clattering noises came to his ears. The former defender hurried into the room again to see the little wavy hair girl hugging her doll tightly, inching away from all the broken pieces of glasses on the floor.

"That's the third time this month… Utau, how many time have I told you to-"

Kirino stopped when he saw the look on his daughter's face and her watery eyes. He just sighed and resorted to picking her up to move her to the couch, where there were not much sharp little things that could harm her. The boy than started to pick up the big glasses one by one before using a broom to clean out the rest of them. The brown hair child just squeezed her At-chan into her chest and didn't even dare to move a muscle as she fixed her eyes on the floor.

"I'm sorry daddy…" She whispered quietly when her father was done cleaning up the mess.

The trainer looked at her with guilt in his eyes.

_I shouldn't have been so harsh…_

He thought with another sigh as he gently picked her up again "Come on… it's time for you to go the daycare. Your teacher will get worried if we're late again."

Utau squeezed her little fingers around the fabric covering his shoulder as she buried her face into his neck when he carried her to the door.

Ever since Akane passed away, he had learned how hard it was to deal with a child. Back then, the shy manager was always the one to take care of her most of the time, with him training for the national team and all. So the sudden lack of her mother's presence became a challenge that both of them had to learn how to adapt to… He could still remember how hard it was to get Utau to go to bed at night. For the first few months, the little girl just kept on calling her mother all night long and refused to close her eyes unless he was there. Every time they were alone, she would start having questions and asking for mommy, and there was nothing the former defender could say to calm her down.

Yes… It was hard for both of them. But things did get better afterward…

As times went by, the little girl began to talk about classes and dolls instead of crying for her mother all day, and he finally managed to get used to doing the household chores so early in the morning.

_Everything will work out somehow…_

Kirino told himself as he let her down on her feet so that she could go in with her teacher. Her lavender eyes looked back at him as she waved her tiny hands goodbye and went into the class with her friends.

_I'll make it work…_

* * *

"Hey there Ran Ran~"

"Shizuka san… please stop calling me that…"

"Awwww… somebody got up on wrong side of the bed today…?"

The blonde said teasingly as she poked the younger male's cheek, making him blush with the gesture.

"Shizuka, leave him alone. We have to much work to do. The new guys are coming in today." A tall, dark skin man said with a strict expression as he walked pass the dual.

"Grumpy old man…" The woman pouted the moment the older man was out of sight, making the pink hair male laugh quietly into his hands. "But he is the coach, Shizuka san… and the one that pays us too."

"Noooo~ the one that pays us is the company that invested in this team."

"Yes, but he can still fire us if he thinks we suck."

"Oh…"

Both of them laughed out loud after that and headed to the soccer field together with the other trainers. Suddenly, a red hair guy jumped in between them.

"Hey hey did you hear? It seemed that one of the contestants today is the son of the head of the company that invests in this thing."

"You mean the team?" The blonde woman raised an eye brow.

"Noooo… this whole competition! And I heard he just came back from studying abroad too!"

"Is that so..? Well, if he just finished his study than he's probably about your age Ran Ran~" Shizuka winked at the smaller male as she threw her arms behind her head. "But I bet the little prince won't even have to go through the testing match to get a place in the team."

"Well…" The red head continued as he jogged along with the other two. "I heard since he was in America National team last year, his name is already in the official list… "

"See! He is soooooo getting in by using his father's influence, that's why he avoids showing his _real _abilities, that is if he has any…"

By this time, Kirino had already stopped listening. He wasn't a fan of talking behind ones back, especially when hadn't even met the guy yet. So the former defender just kept quiet for the rest of walk as the other two carried on with their conversation. Soon, the company reached a stairway moving up to the field outside.

Kirino's eyes squeezed a bit when they encountered the light. And when the pink hair male opened his eyes again, he could see in the middle of the field stood a bunch of people talking to the coach. As he shifted his eyes around, he could spot three familiar figures. The former defender smiled.

_Just as I thought, they were also invited this year…_

"…and that's all the things you need to know about the try out match… These people here..."

The man looked back at the group of trainers as they lined up behind him. Tsurugi was the first one to spot the pink hair male. His eyes widened a bit in surprise but didn't let out any word. Instead he just poked Tenma's shoulder slightly when the boy and Shinsuke were still too busy chatting in excitement to get their attention. The two best friends followed Tsurugi's finger as he pointed to the front and jumped when they saw Kirino smiling, waving at them from the middle of the line. And before he could stop it, the enthusiastic midfielder had already yelled out loud his friend's name.

"K-KIRINO SENPAI!"

Everyone on the fielded flinched and turned their heads to stare at the source of the sudden loud voice. Kirino chuckled into his hands. Tsurugi could only face palm silently, immediately regretting his action while Shinsuke just sweat dropped and laughed, already predicting something like this would happen.

The coach cleared his voice to get everyone's attention again. "As I was saying…" He eyed Tenma bit this time, and when he saw the boy keeping his red face lowered in embarrassment, he knew it was safe to continue. "… these people here are your trainers, they will help me keep an eye on your training after you get into the team, and also…"

This time, it was Kirino's turn to look at their coach. According to what he told them, after the introduction, they would start the match right away. Was there a change of plan at the last minute?

"There's someone else that will join us…"

Immediately, the door at their side opened, creating a loud noise that echoed through the entire field. Everyone looked to their right to see who it was.

"Originally, he had already been accepted as one the official players. Not because of some ridiculous reasons in the rumors though…" The man's sharp eyes swept through the one that was standing next to Kirino, making the red head jumped in fright. "… but because I had already tested his abilities when I was still in the US last month… and I myself acknowledged that he's qualified to be in the team…"

Even with the light making it hard to indentify the person, Kirino could still see a figure walking toward them.

"However, he came to me this morning to refuse having his name in the list and asked to be tested and judged in the same condition like everybody else… And of course, I accepted. "

_That's just like him…_

The former defender thought with a small smile. However, as he turned his eyes back to the mysterious player, his smile slowly disappeared and was replaced by an expression of pure shock.

Wind blew through the male's curly brown hair as he finally stopped at a spot that was only meters away from them. And the light that blinded the pink hair male's view just moments ago, was now shinning brightly at the figure of the person he never thought he would see again…

"Shindou…"

* * *

Kirino stood still as he watched the trio ran over and gathered around the brunet. He was still too astounded to react to the fact that Shindou was there, right in front of him, just a few meters away. This… this couldn't be a dream, could it?

After moments of exchanging greetings and sharing their joy, Shinsuke said something that made the music prodigy widened his eyes in disbelieve. The brown hair boy immediately looked around and finally found what he was looking for right in front of his eyes.

The moment his best friend was in sight, it was like everything around them disappeared. The brunet couldn't help but standing like a stone, staring at the other in pure amazement. How long had it been already? Seven? Eight years? Ever since the last time they saw each other… And yet, the boy looked just as beautiful as he was when they first met.

"Kiri-"

"Players! Gather around! We are about to slit you into two teams to compete! Remember, this is to test your personal skill, so give us your best shot and show us what you can do!"

The red hair male yelled out loud before starting to call one name after the other for the first team. And the remaining ones naturally went to the second group. A moment of chaos went by as the two teams got into their places and players found their right spot that had been arranged. When they were all where they should be, Shindou realized that he couldn't find Kirino anywhere. The boy looked around a bit but no matter how much he tried, he just simply couldn't spot his best friend.

"He's at the bench…"

The brown hair boy looked at Tsurugi who was standing besides him. He then shifted his eyes to the bench to see the pink hair male standing together with the trainers. Azure eyes met him but immediately moved away.

"Apparently… he is no longer a player..."

Shindou couldn't help but being stunned by that statement.

_What… How can this be…?_

However, the prodigy didn't have much time to worry about his friends as the coach already told them to focus. That's right… He's on the field now. Right now, the only thing that should be in his mind is this match… And he _will _become a Nation Player.

Seconds later, the whistle was heard.

* * *

All four of them got in easily. Shinsuke even managed to become the team's regular goalkeeper. And Shindou, predictably, was appointed to become the new captain of the team.

After the announcement was made, there were moments of hand-shaking and praising. Kirino watched his friends as the two younger enthusiastic players hugged each other, jumping up and down in pure joy, while the remaining ones were being congratulated by players that didn't make it.

"Hey Ran Ran, we should get back. The coach is starting to pair us up with the players."

"…"

"Ran Ran?"

"H-huh? O-oh right…"

Shizuka raised an eye brow at his strange behaviors. "You ok?"

"Y-Yeah… I'm fine..."

When they reached Coach Allen, he had already passed some of the player profiles to a few trainers. A part of Kirino's brain suddenly hoped that a certain brown hair boy's sketch had already been accepted by someone else. The dark skin man looked at them a bit and then at the remaining profiles, trying to pick out which ones would be most fit for them. The former defender could swear a meaningful look was sent at him before the man fished out four particular profiles and gave them to him.

"You two will take care of these four…"

…_Don't tell me…_

The defender looked down at the paper. Yep… it's them, all four to be exact…

"Coach-"

"_You _should know what to do with them…"

And with that, the man jogged away to another pair of trainers.

"Huh? Ran Ran, what does he mean?" The blonde woman kept looking back and ford between her partner and the coach, not sure what just happened. Kirino just sighed…

_Great… I shouldn't have told him about junior high…_

"It's… nothing…"

"…. Argh...!You people are always so secretive…! Let's just go introduce ourselves to the players ok! … Hey, aren't those friends of yours?"

Kirino didn't answer. He just took in a deep breath before walking to his old friends.

"Kirino senpai!" Shinsuke called out in joy as the four companies turned to his direction. Shindou seemed a little dazed by his approach he could notice. However, before the short goalkeeper could say anything else to him, he had already cut through the boy.

"Shisizuno Shinsuke!"

The boy flinched and immediately closed his mouth.

"Matsukaze Tenma."

"Y-yes…" The younger brunet stuttered his reply in confusion.

"Tsurugi Kyosuke and Shindou Takuto." The two calm ones also looked at him with a bit of astound.

"We have been appointed to be your trainers. From now on, your training, your schedules will be designed and observed closely by us. Please make it your obligation to follow all of our instructions…"

_Yes… just keep the distance… I can get through this. Well, for today at least._

"Well... We are here to guide you whenever you need help..." Shizuka continued with a smile. "Kirino and I will each follow two of you and- E-EH WAIT!" All four players jumped when the women suddenly interrupted her own words when she received two files from the pink hair male.

"E-excuse me for a second…" The blonde laughed awkwardly as she immediately pulled the younger male away to whisper in protest. "Ran Ran, I can't take this one…! I just badmouthed him only hours ago, it will be weird if he finds out!"

"Believe me, I have a much better reason not to get involved with him Shizuka san…"

"B-B- But-"

"I'm sorry about this. But I_ will _tell him if you don't accept the file."

"EH!"

The former defender felt a bit guilty that he had to corner his colleague like that, especially when the woman was quite close to him. But he had no other choice. There was no way he was ready to deal with Shindou and kept a right mind right now.

The blonde just pouted childishly before turning back to the four players who were looking at them with big question marks on their heads.

"Nishinono Shinsuke…" She grumbled before hesitating a bit.

"Please Shizuka san… I promise to take him out of your hands once in a while if things get too uncomfortable…" Kirino whispered pleadingly with a small apologetic smile when he saw she was still reluctant to call out the other's name.

"Fine…! But you have to make sure that red head over there won't spill me out either… SHINDOU TAKUTO, I will be watching over you two."

However, before the two mentioned males could even open their mouths to reply, the woman had already stormed her foot hard on the pink hair male's one, making him barely hold back a painful sound. She then jogged away, sulking hard, leaving the boys speechless at her reaction.

_Gosh… she is __**real**__ mature sometimes…_

The former defender thought sarcastically before looking up again, trying to hide the aching pain on his foot and keep his face normal. "Matsukaze Tenma, Tsurugi Kyosuke, that means you two will be under my care. Since tomorrow is our first day, meet me here at 6 in the morning... And that goes for you two too." He added, looking at the other two, mostly the goalkeeper though. His eyes barely swept over the playmaker.

"For now-"

"RAN RAN!"

The boy jumped and stopped when he heard the woman's yelling his nickname. The other four flinched in surprise too.

"Woah… that's the third time she scares the heck out of me already… And we just met minutes ago…" Shinsuke commented with a whispering voice, to which Tenma nodded enthusiastically in agreement.

"S-Shizuka san, what's wrong?" The pink hair male asked when the blonde finally reached them, still panting hard.

"U-Utau chan…"

The sound of his daughter's name immediately made the defender's heart dropped.

"The daycare just called the office… s-she is having a fever… and it's getting higher too…! You better go, now."

The pink hair male didn't need to be told twice to immediately dash away from the field. Shizuka called out loud to him just before he was out of sight. "Just stay at home if you need to ok! I'll take care of things here!" After his shadow vanished into the hall, the woman sighed.

"The poor guy… just one thing after another…"

The Raimon former members took a second to exchange looks of confusion before Shindou stepped up.

"Uhm... Excuse me but... who is Utau?"

The blonde answered with a most obviou tone, waving her hand, without even looking at them. "Oh, it's nothing...! She's his daughter. This happens ALLLLL the time..."

However, when she turned back, all four of them were looking at her with pure shock expressions...

"Wait... Aren't you guys supposed to know...? I mean, you guys are friends, aren't you?"

"HE'S MARRIED?"

Tenma and Shinsuke both let out at the same time. And somehow, the thought brought a sting to the playmaker's chest.

_He... is married..._

"Wow wow, come down kids! It's not that unusual to be married at this age…"

"He is only 23…" Shinsuke said with a huge sweat drop on his head.

"AND-and-and he never said anything!" Tenma added, winging his arms hysterically.

"Well… he _did_ disappear after he went to high school. Many things must have happened since then..." Tsurugi commented in a calm tone, didn't look as affected by the news as the rest.

"Well... I don't know what your story is, but his daughter is turning five this year. She's such a little angel actually...! Sometimes he would bring her to watch too. Everybody here loves her."

The prodigy couldn't help but feel sad when he heard that. He knew that he should feel happy for his best friend, being able to find happiness so soon in his life, but the thought of the pink hair male standing with somebody else somehow just made he felt like someone just shot a needle right through his heart.

"I wonder who his wife is..." Shinsuke asked, tittling his head curiously.

"Yeah! I wanna mee- Hnmm...!"

Before the brunet could finish his sentence though, the dark striker had already brought a hand up to cover his mouth. The young boy shot his eyes up to look at the taller male questioningly, but Tsurugi just tossed his head to Shindou's direction. Only then did Tenma realize his mistake...

"Eh... Uhm... Shindou sen-"

"I want to meet her too..."

The trio widened their eyes when the prodigy turned to look at them again. "She... must be a nice girl... I want to meet her too." The brunet repeated his words, this time with a small smile.

_That's right... I must be happy for him. He deserves this..._

The boy thought, trying to ignore the painful feeling in his chest. His mask, however, couldn't fool any of his friends. As Tenma and Shinsuke exchanged worried looks, Tsurugi continued to watch the older male closely with his sharp eyes.

"Uhm... guys..."

The quiet air was broken when the female trainer spoke. All four of them turned their attention on her again.

"I know I just interrupted something but... there's something you should know..."

As the woman continued with a sad look on her face, she slowly explained the situation to the group. And what they found out next once again shocked them all...

* * *

Kirino sighed as he checked on the thermometer.

_This one is quite bad this time…_

"Daddy… I'm sorry…" The little girl breathed between her heavy panting as she lay on her bed, under the thick blanket.

"Don't say that, it's not your fault ok." The pink hair boy said in a gentle tone as he caressed her face softly. Her voice toned down a bit when she whispered a small, weak ok... He smiled and stood up from his spot…

_Her fever usually goes down after one night. I probably should let her sleep... But maybe I'll stay at home tomorrow just to be sure..._

However, before the former defender could actually move away, a tiny hand was held out to grab the rim of his shirt, stopping him in his track. The boy looked back at his daughter to see her staring at him with half-shut eyes.

"Daddy…"

A surprise expression slit through his face but he sat back down next to her anyway. "What is it…?"

"… I don't like the daycare… "The little girl said with an almost inaudible voice, but thankfully, the room was quiet enough for him to hear. He widened his eyes again.

"Why..? Didn't you say you had a lot of fun…?"

"…the kids there… they said mean things to me… they always made fun of my hairs…" The boy's eyebrows narrowed slightly. Could it be that she was bullied…? Why didn't the teacher notice anything…? Why didn't _she_ tell him until now…?

"… I want to have hairs like yours daddy… your hairs are always so soft and pretty…"

"Your hairs are beautiful, Utau... _You_ are beautiful…" Kirino stressed as he ran his fingers through her curly locks, stroking them lovingly.

_Like him..._

"Don't let anyone tell you otherwise ok… Who do trust…? Me or some silly kids…?"

The little girl smiled happily even with her eyes already closed. She muttered something in her breaths before falling asleep with a smile, her hand still holding onto him tightly.

Kirino smiled silently at her too before climbing onto the bed, holding her in his arms...

* * *

**Ok, that's it for now...**

**I hope you guys enjoy this chapter as well. And if you have a comment, just tell me in the review ok! It's right down there. ^^-  
**

**Oh and for those of you who are interested, I drew a family picture of little Utau with Kirino and Akane, and one of her when she was five. They are on my tumblr account with the same name (birdincage2903). I'm planning to draw some more scenes in this story too. If you guys want to take a look but have some problems finding it, you can go to my fanfiction profile to follow the instuctions I gave there, or just simply P.M me alright. (Anonymous are welcome too! XD)  
**

******I'll try to update as soon as possible. But it won't be long, I promise.**

******See ya next time!**  



	3. Truth

**Yep! I'm back with the next chap! **

**Thank you sooooo much for the reviews you guys! I was so happy whenever I saw one popped up! XD**

**Oh, and quite a number of people wondered about how much did Shizuka know. So I'm here to tell you she knew that Kirino had a wife who died of a disease and that he was living with their daughter. That's all! So that was all our Raimon company learned about their friend alright. They didn't know that it was Akane whom Kirino married nor Utau is biologically Shindou's daughter! (Didn't want to spoil the real fun yet… -grin-) **

**Anyway, there's the next chap! Have fun! **

**Disclaimer: ****I don't own IE (GO)**

**Chap 3: Truth**

That morning, the defender woke up quite late. It had been a while since he the last time slept in her small bed, so falling asleep wasn't at all easy last night.

The first thing he did was checking Utau's temperature to see if it had gone down. Even though her forehead was still a bit warm, her fever had indeed lowered over the night. So he sighed in relief and got up from the bed. The defender adjusted the blanket so that it would fully cover his daughter's body and did some stretching before going to the bathroom.

A while later, he got out with a towel around his neck. The boy walked to the kitchen and started to make some breakfast for both of them. As he sliced some of the vegetables, Kirino recalled the conversation with his child yesterday.

_Now that I think about it, she barely tells me anything anymore recently. Was she afraid that I would be mad…? Maybe daycare wasn't a really good choice after all…_

What would Akane do in times like these…? But then again, the manager was never that fond of kindergarten or daycare and always preferred to take care of their daughter on her own. Utau just started going just a few months ago. Maybe she just needed some time to get used to the class.

_Yeah right… like anyone can get used to being bullied… _

Kirino sighed as the thought went through his mind.

_Maybe I should just take her to soccer field? After all, she likes it there. And everyone seems to love her too…_

However, before he could even consider the option more carefully, the boy let out a yelp the very next moment when he accidentally cut his finger with the knife. He slipped the towel down from his neck and squeezed it around his finger. Before the boy could remember where the hell he put the first aid kit though, his door bell rang.

"Oh great, what perfect timing…" Kirino grumbled as he spent one moment to debate between his guest and the bleeding finger.

In the end, the boy decided to open the door first. He didn't know how long it would take him to find the damn box, and it would be just rude to keep someone waiting outside his home. Besides, he was pretty sure that it was just the delivery guy bringing some mails. It wouldn't take that long to sign some papers before going back to treating his injure again, that is if he could sign them…

The bell rang again. So he walked to the door and took some time to undo the locks. However, the moment the boy opened the door, his finger started to bleed again, distracting him from his guest whom he still thought was the normal delivery guy.

"Sorry Haku, I don't think I can sign-"

"Kirino…"

The boy widened his eyes when he heard the familiar voice. He finally looked up to see someone he would never imagine standing in front of his house.

"Shin... dou..?"

* * *

Yes, his best friend whom he had avoided for the last 8 years was standing right in front of him, at the door of his home…

The pink hair male stared at his friend in complete awe. Was he having a hallucination from bleeding too much…? Maybe he was still half asleep…? Or this is just simply a bad dream… There was no way the boy could be here of all places…

…

Right…?

The brunet hesitated to make a move when he saw how shock the former defender was to see him here. He was starting to take back his decision to come. What the hell was he thinking anyway, coming here like this without even telling the boy first… Well, he wasn't really thinking to be exact. He was just worried about his friend too much to actually use his genius mind clearly. And thanks to that idiotic part of him, they were now standing in complete awkward…

"I…"

Shindou was about to open his mouth to apologize, but the playmaker halted when his eyes fell on a horrifying sight.

"You're hurt…!"

The playmaker let out loud, making the pink hair male flinch back to the reality at the same time.

"A-Ah… This… This is no-"

However, before Kirino could hide his hand away, the brunet had already grabbed his arm and quickly pulled him into the house.

"Where's the bathroom…?" The playmaker asked as he looked around.

"S-Shindou! I'm fine…!"

It didn't take the genius long to locate the place he was looking for. He was about to lead the boy to the room when his friend yanked his hand away.

"I'm fine…!"

Shindou sighed…

"Kirino, your hand is still bleeding… You need to wash the injury before it gets infected, and then find a way to stop the blood before you pass-"

"I-I am not going to faint…!" The pink hair male immediately protested, turning his face away in slight embarrassment.

"You are! If you just let it be like this…"

"I can take care of myself…!"

"_Kirino…_"

The tone in his friend's voice finally managed to hush the boy from objecting any further. He looked up when he felt Shindou's hand holding his arm, gently this time.

"Please… just trust me…"

His best friend's pleading looks led Kirino to just sighing in defeat, so he just looked down and relaxed against the touch.

When the brunet was sure the boy wasn't going to fight back, he led him into the bathroom again. He turned on the water and washed the messy blood away from the other's hand. Kirino only winced slightly when his injure came into contact with the cold flowing, but the playmaker held his hand still. After that, Shindou opened the closet above their head to look for some bandages and found the first aid kit instead.

_So that's where I put it…_

The former defender silently thought as the other led him out again, carrying the medical box with him.

When they were sitting on the floor of the living room and the brunet was treating his hand, the pink hair boy had wanted to tell Shindou that he could take it from here now, but then decided against it, knowing that his best friend would just do it anyway.

After the playmaker managed to stop the bleeding, Kirino whispered a small thank you, too embarrassed to actually look into the other's face. The boy just smiled at him.

"It's no problem… "

A quiet moment passed between them until the pink hair male spoke again.

"How… did you know… well..."

"Shizuka san told me the address... You didn't come this morning so I was worried…"

"I-I see…"

Well, you could always count on the blonde woman to send someone here to make sure he was alright. And even though her feelings made him happy, he really needed to have a talk to her about her choice of selection… sending the brunet of all people here…

The boy sighed.

"Kirino…"

The defender looked up again at his friend. "H-huh? What is it?"

"…well… yesterday-"

"Daddy...?"

Kirino's body froze when he heard his daughter's voice. The boy turned back to see the curly hair girl standing at the opened door in her pajama with her eyes half-open.

"I'm hungry…" Utau said as she walked to her father. The girl was halfway through when her eyes finally fell on Shindou. Immediately, she dashed to the defender's side and held on tight to his arms with her face hid away. Only now, did Kirino suddenly remember something that made his heart dropped…

_God… How could I forget….?_

The boy stretched out his eyes in realization.

"Utau-chan… right…?" Shindou gently called the little girl who was looking at him timidly from behind his best friend.

He smiled at her before bending his body a bit forward and holding out his hand. "I'm Shindou Takuto. I'm your father's friend... Nice to finally meet you, Utau-chan..."

The little girl stared at the brown hair male for a while, still not willing to come out of her safe zone with the former defender. However, seconds later, she realized something and widened her eyes in awe. The little girl left her father's side slowly, very slowly, and inched her way towards the guest. She walked pass his welcoming hand, and came even closer to the male himself. Her lavender eyes still had that amazed look in them when she stopped a few inches in front of him.

When Shindou looked into those eyes, he suddenly had a familiar feeling that he couldn't really make out. However, the playmaker let out surprised sound the very next moment when the little girl suddenly yanked at his hairs. Kirino practically jumped at his daughter's sudden rude behavior.

"U-Utau…! Why did you do that?"

Nevertheless, before the pink hair male could say anything further, the two boys were caught off guard by Utau's innocent laugh. She ran her fingers through the other's wavy locks, touching her own curly hair with the other hand happily. The prodigy sat there in astound as she hugged him cheerfully with her tiny arms.

… _How could I forget…? _

Kirino slumped silently back into his seat as he watched the scene.

_She… is his daughter…_

The little girl just went on laughing and touching the other's locks, feeling so happy that she finally met a person with hairs like hers. Even though Shindou was a little clueless at the beginning, he could guess why she opened up to him so fast. And obviously, the boy was happy... very happy for some reasons that she liked him. So he stayed still and let the little child play with his hair as he watched her with a genuine smile. When the prodigy looked up at his best friend, however, his smile toned down as he saw the troubled expression on the boy's face.

_He's her real father…_

Kirino stared at the floor with sad eyes. Even though he always told himself that he was enough for Utau, the truth was he was quietly _praying _that he could be enough. It was not a fact, but merely a wishing thought that he fantasized in his mind, or worse, an excuse to keep his daughter with him. And that, was also the very problem, the reason why she could never share with him things about her hair, or the color of her eyes, or laugh the way she just did… He's not her real father. She will never be able to feel compassion from him no matter how much he loved her. And she will never be able to relate herself with him when she needed someone who can understand…

_How can I claim that I can take care of her when she can't even count on me on those tiny things…?_

"Kirino?"

_Utau is… she is…_

"Kirino, what's wrong…?"

…

"Daddy… Are you ok…?"

The pink hair boy finally looked up to see both of them looking at him with worried eyes. The little girl immediately walked back to him to hold her father comfortingly.

"Don't be sad daddy… Mommy won't be happy if you are sad…"

Azure eyes widened in surprise at these words… But they softened the very next minute...

The former defender smiled softly as he whispered into her ears. "Silly girl, I'm fine… You said you were hungry right? I think we still have a piece of apple pie in the fridge, can you be a good girl and get it by yourself…? Daddy has to talk to his friend a bit..."

The wavy hair girl's face brightened up. "Ok!" She instantly ran her way to the fridge and did just as he said, happily eating her pie on the table from a distance.

Kirino smiled again at her. However, the boy turned back when he felt a hand touching his face softly.

"Stop saying that you are alright all the time. You are not…"

…

_What she needs…_

The brunet was a little taken aback when there was no further reaction or protest from the other. Instead the pink hair male just stared at him without saying anything. His eyes looked so deep in thoughts that it was almost like the boy was evaluating something in his head… something very important.

"Shindou…" The boy finally called out with an almost inaudible voice. "What I'm about to say… is probably going to freak you out…"

The prodigy widened his eyes at this.

"Kirino, what are yo-"

"But… of all people, you have the right to know…"

Shindou looked at his friend in complete baffle. Just what is the boy talking about…?

"And I'm sorry I couldn't tell you earlier… I made a promise with somebody that I wouldn't… But now…" Kirino looked at his daughter again with sadness in his deep eyes.

_What Utau needs…_

"… It's no longer about me anymore… no... this has never been about me…"

"Kirino…" As the playmaker looked into his friend's azure eyes, he could see pain flashing through them. The stubborn male who refused his help only moments ago vanished into thin air, leaving behind a vulnerable boy who couldn't even look at him when he spoke.

The defender looked so helpless with what he was about to say that Shindou wanted nothing more than to pull him into his arms and hold him tightly against his chests, so that he could chase away whatever was eating the boy up from the inside. But the taller male held himself back, knowing that the other would never forgive such inappropriate acts. And he couldn't bear losing his best friends again… Eight years were already too much. Another day without the boy would leave him devastated, he just knew…

"Shindou…"

The brunet was brought back from his thoughts when he heard his best friend calling him again. The boy watched in surprise when he saw the pink hair male looking directly at him. And the boy's eyes never showed more strength and sincerity.

_Just what is going on..?_

"Utau…"

Finally realizing that this thing was more important than he had imagined, the prodigy waited patiently for the other to continue. Kirino took in a deep breath before releasing the very sentence that changed their lives forever.

"Utau… _she is your daughter Shindou_…"

* * *

Complete silence embraced the room as the playmaker stared at his friend in shock. His eyes widened. And the boy himself was completely speechless. The pink hair male though, still looked at him with such composure in his eyes.

"K-Kirino… W-what are you talking about…? She is... Utau chan is your-"

The brunet finally managed to let out. However, before he could say anything further, Kirino stood up from his spot and headed to a nearby closet to take out a photograph. He jogged back to the prodigy and sat down in front of the boy again.

"This is my wedding picture…"

The boy put the photo down and pushed it over to his best friend. The playmaker reluctantly took a look at the picture, not understanding his friend's intention and what did this have to do with what he just said… But the moment his eyes fell onto the image of the beautiful bride in the photo who was holding a little wavy hair child in her arms lovingly, they widened in shock once again…

"This is…" The brunet whispered silently and that was all he managed to let out. So the defender decided to finish his thoughts for him.

"Akane… was the one I married… She was my wife." The pink hair boy closed his eyes as he fell into silence for a while before he could carry on. "And… Utau was born right after you went away… _She is your daughter Shindou_…"

Baffling thoughts clouded the playmaker's mind. He just couldn't believe in what he was just told or even the sight in front of him. His eyes went from the picture in the frame to the little girl who was humming cheerfully at the kitchen not so far away. This… How could this be…?

The pink hair male only looked at his friend sadly before he slowly explained the detail to the completely stunned boy. From when he found out about Akane's pregnancy, how the manager made him promise to keep everything a secret... how they fell in love and made a family, to the day when the lavender eyes girl passed away and left their daughter to him… Everything was finally brought into light. And for the first time in many years, Shindou felt like he had been living a complete lie.

The brunet sat quietly on his laps with his hair covered his expressions... Not a single word left the boy's mouth after his friend let out the last word. They just sat there in complete silence until the playmaker finally stood up, silently excused himself and walked away…

And that was the last time Kirino saw his best friend in the next three days.

...

* * *

...

Two days later, not a word was heard from Shindou.

The pink hair male was standing in the middle of the playground, giving Utau push after push on her swinging chair. The little girl laughed out loud every time she went up into the air, carefreely enjoyed her time with her father. Kirino, however, couldn't be as lighthearted as the little one…

Every time the defender thought back to that morning with the playmaker, his heart was weighted down by guilt and his chest felt so heavy that it became hard to breath.

_I did a terrible thing…_

Because of his lack of consideration, he just changed his best friend's entire life. And not in a better way... He shouldn't have been so weak and selfish. The boy was a player for the National Team, he just became a team captain again, his life was turning out to be perfect like he had always dreamt… and yet, the defender just had to crush all of his hopes and accomplishments with one moment of weakness.

_I'm such an idiot…_

The boy thought with a sigh as he gave the little girl another push.

"Daddy daddy! It's grandpa and grandma! They are finally here!"

Utau cheered happily as she jumped out of her sit and ran towards her grandparents. It was a custom that he and his daughter visited Akane's parents every Friday. The girl loved them very much, so she was always happy when they finally met.

The defender usually just took her to the older couple's house, but for some reasons, Akane's parents wanted them to all go out together this time. Not that he had any objections, but the tone of his father-in-law's voice when they spoke over the phone the previous night somehow gave him a strange feeling.

Kirino stood there for a while as he watched his daughter welcomed the couple with many hugs and kisses before gradually walking there himself. After some greetings, they all decided to go to an ice cream shop that the little girl loved. Utau, of course, was jumping up and down happily as she skipped ahead with her grandma. The two men walked a bit more calmly behind as they watched the cheerful scene.

When they reached the shop, the little girl pulled the older woman over the store immediately for some ice creams. The defender was about to follow them when an arm was held out to stop him in his track…

"We need to talk…"

The older man said quietly without even looking at him. The defender widened his eyes a bit before he finally nodded.

_I guess my instinct was right after all…_

He followed after Akane's father as the man led him to a quieter place. After a while of complete silence, the boy finally stopped and asked when he couldn't wait any longer for the other to begin.

"What do you want to talk about…?"

However, the tension between them only rose when the man refused to let even a word come out of his mouth. Kirino tried to stay patient as he stared at his father in law's back. Moments later, the man sighed as he finally turned around and looked at him.

"I'm going to cut to the chase, so _this_ can be as clear as possible..."

_This…?_

The boy's azure eyes became serious too when he started to realize that this discussion probably wouldn't end well.

"We will be taking Utau."

…

_What…?_

Kirino's eyes widened in shock at the statement.

"What do you mean by that…?" The former defender asked, trying to keep his voice calm, but his anxiety could already be spotted behind his mask.

"Utau needs a family…"

"I _am _her family…"

The boy stressed, looking straight at the man in front of him. sighed heavily as he shifted his eyes away from him.

"Kirino… how long do you think you can last at this rate… she needs a _real _family Ranmaru. One that can always support her with everything she needs… more importantly, she needs someone she can relate to… someone of her own _blood_…"

"I can't just-"

"_You are not her father…!"_

The last statement left the pink hair male stopped in shock. His eyes stretched out. The boy was speechless that he didn't know how to reply. And even though the older man felt guilty about what he just said, he had no choice but to continue with another sigh.

"I know how you feel Ranmaru… but if you truly love Utau, than do what best for her…"

The man said, walking passed the completely stunned boy.

"We'll come for her on Sunday."

* * *

"Daddy… what's wrong…?" The little girl asked innocently, looking at her father as he carried her home after spending a day with her grandparents. Kirino opened the door silently and walked into the house. The boy let the wavy hair girl down on her feet and closed the door.

_You are not her father…!_

The conversation with the older man kept echoing in his head, bouncing against his mind. They wanted to take her… They wanted to take her away from him… How could he accept that? How could it be that he was even considering such idea? She's everything he had left…

But then again, it was never his choice from the beginning... Whether it was Akane, Utau... or Shindou. Eventually, he had to let them all go without being able to do anything…

"Daddy…?"

He saw what being someone who wasn't related to her did to the little girl… There would always be things, that no matter how much he tried, he could never give her like a real parent could…

_If you truly love Utau… than do what best for her…_

…

"Daddy, are you hurt…?"

"Utau…"

The wavy hair child was a bit startled when her father finally called quietly. He looked at her with a smile.

"Do you want to go out again tomorrow… with just the two of us this time."

Utau's face brightened up immediately after she heard the idea. The little girl jumped into his arms, hugging him tightly with her hands.

"Ok!"

His daughter's innocent voice made pain flash through azure eyes. The defender squeezed his arms around the tiny body clinging onto him. He softly pressed her warmth against him and almost didn't want to take his hand off again.

_God…Why... Why is it so hard to let her go…?  
_

Completely oblivious to her father's pain, Utau also gripped her fingers closely around his shirt, enjoying the pink hair male's affection with a happy smile. "I love you daddy…" The little girl said into his ears. But her words could no longer reach the traumatized male as a single tear quietly ran across his face…

* * *

**Ok… I'm going to give you a head start and reveal that our next chap will be the final one. (Finally, I manage to finish at least one of my multi-chapter stories… =.=") **

**So I hope that you guys will continue to follow this fic of mine until the end. ^^-**

**Thank you so much and please leave your comments ok! I'm dying to read them! XD**

**See you guys next time! ;)**


	4. Together

**Here's the final chap everyone! **

**Since this is the last ending, I want to give my biggest thanks all of my reviewers; your comments meant the world to me, to all the people who fav, follow, or simply read my story. You guy are all so wonderful, and your support is the best thing a writer could ever have.**

**Well, what are we waiting for! I know you are all dying to see how this end! Have fun everyone! And again, thank you so much! ^^-**

**Disclaimer: I don't own IE (GO)**

**Chap 4: Together**

The next day, when Kirino asked the girl where she wanted to go, he was caught off guard by the innocent reply.

"I want to see daddy's soccer!"

The pink hair male could feel cold sweat dropping down from his face.

_How can she remember? She was only three back then…_

"Can I can I? Can I see you play?"

And with that, the former defender had no choice but to shake away his reluctance and take the girl to the soccer field. Luckily, official practice wouldn't begin until two weeks later after the coach had already finished all the paper works. So there would no problem if he were to borrow the field for a mere day. At least that was what he hoped…

They arrived at the stadium to see it was completely empty. The boy let out a breath in relief. It would be troublesome if anyone saw him play soccer, after all, he was just another normal trainer to the people here…

He let his daughter down so that she could sit on the bench and watch. The defender smiled when he heard her enthusiastic cheering. The boy then turned his eyes back to the ball in front of him, suddenly remembered how good it feel to be in the soccer field as a player again. He flipped the ball up with his feet and started to fling it up and down slowly at first. As the boy speeded up his movement, bringing the ball higher and higher on the air until it flopped onto his shoulder, his daughter's face lightened up with excitement too. Kirino smiled and passed the ball through his shoulders with an elegant move before bringing it down to his chests. The pink hair male was having much more fun than he thought that he didn't realize three pair of eye just spotted him from behind the door that led to another hallway.

"Is that…"

"Kirino senpai!"

The brunet called out in surprise as he looked at the sight with amazement in his eyes.

"And he's playing soccer too! I knew he wouldn't just give up!"

"Hey… is that little girl…" The tiny goalkeeper said when he heard cheering sound from the bench. All three of them widened their eyes the very next second…

"HIS DAUGHTER!?" The two eager players blurted out with thrill, leaving the dark striker to sweat drop at their sudden enthusiasm. Tsuguri however, only watched the older boy for a while before turning to the brunet besides him.

"Tenma… can you do something for me…?"

The brown hair boy looked at his friend questioningly but nodded nevertheless.

Meanwhile, Kirino continued to perform his tricks with the soccer ball effortlessly as his daughter watched with happiness in her shinning eyes. However, the boy suddenly stopped when a sharp wind suddenly flew passed them, almost knocking him out. He squeezed his eyes shut for one moment before opening them again, only to find the soccer ball on his leg gone. The boy turned around and widened his eyes when he saw the one that stole the ball from him.

"Tsuguri? What are you-"

However, before the older male could say anything else, the dark striker had already advanced at him with a lighting speed. The pink hair boy barely had time react when the other ran passed him with the ball again. After that, the ex-Seed once again stopped in his track and looked back at his senior.

"Stop me."

It was much closer to an order than a simple invitation for a friendly practice. When Kirino realized he had no other choice but to do as the other asked, the boy finally shook his hesitation off and stood in his defending position when the forward zoomed at him again with the ball.

_I can't embarrass myself in front of her now can I…_

A silent smile made its way to his face.

* * *

Shindou was sitting in front his piano, in his very own spacious house, playing a melody with his eyes closed. It had been three days ever since the boy found out that he had a daughter, and his best friend, whom he was in love with, had been the little girl's father for no less than five years… When his thoughts floated with the melody and somehow wandered back to the image of the shy manager in the wedding picture, he flinched sharply and his fingers were slam into the keys, creating a loud noise that echoed through the entire resident.

The brunet panted out heavily in silence with his head lowered. Ever since that day, it had always hunted him… the thought that he couldn't do anything for her. And when he found out that she was no longer in this world, his guilt had only increased since then…

He couldn't even come back to attend her funeral. And now, to discover the pain that she had to go through, the burden that she had to shoulder because of him and his irresponsibility, the boy felt like hundreds of shameful needle were shot into his chest, just like the day when he left her alone with her tears…

_What should I do…?_

_What can I do…? _

_I…_

**SLAM!**

Shindou jumped out of his thoughts when he heard the loud sudden noise. The boy swung his upper body back to see a familiar boy panting heavily at his door.

"T-Tenma! What are you-"

"Captain! You have to go…! Now!"

Without waiting for the other's reaction, the younger boy stormed to him and started pulling him away from his spot.

"Tenma! What is going on?" The older male asked with a confused voice when they reached the main door leading to the outside.

"Kirino senpai! He's on the field! He's playing soccer again! And his daughter is there too!" The boy yelled back with a grin as he went on pulling the fellow brunet with his hand.

_What…? Kirino is playing soccer…?_

"W-wait!"

The prodigy finally said as he yanked back his hand. "I-I can't…! I can't go… I don't deserve-"

"Shindou senpai!"

The wavy hair male flinched slightly at the other's tone. The younger boy looked at him with determination in his eyes as he grabbed the other's hand again.

"If you don't go now… You will lose them, forever."

The playmaker widened his eyes in surprise. "How did yo-"

"Tsurugi told me… He was the one that sent me here. You talked to him two days ago didn't you…?" The brunet added with a grin, reminding the other about the night when he asked for Tsurugi's advice.

"More importantly, I know that you want to be with them, senpai… The problem is, they don't. And if you keep hesitating like this, they will never know… _he _will never know…"

Shindou fully knew who the younger boy was talking about. After a moment of silence, the playmaker lowered his face as he finally let his voice out. "I… I don't know what to do… Everything was so sudden that it almost seemed like a bad dream…"

The boy hesitated to continue. The thoughts in his mind was still so much like a blurring mixture of both guilt and pain, the prodigy could only stand there as he tried to battle out his real emotions.

Tenma stared at the older male as he kept silent too. His senior looked so hurt that the boy couldn't help but look at him with sympathetic eyes. After a while, the passionate boy finally decided to do something that he had never done before…

"… Shindou senpai, I-I… "

The boy struggled with his words, not knowing how to set them straight. However, when he noticed the other wasn't even looking at him, he took in a deep breath and gathered all the courage he had and…

"I LOVE TSURUGI!"

The loud and clear statement yanked the prodigy back from his thoughts unbelievably fast. The older male almost fell down when he fully comprehended the sentence his junior just yelled out.

"H-huh?" Shindou let out when he saw the boy's completely flustered face and heavy panting. After he successfully got the other's attention again, the passionate boy took some time to adjust his own breathing before he could continue. "I-I don't know what to do either… A-And when I found out, I was confused too… I didn't know what to do, or how to think anymore… B-But…"

The boy took in a deep breath again…

"What I do know is that I don't want to lose him." He looked straight at the other's widened eyes. "And that is enough for me to know that I cannot avoid him any longer…"

Shindou looked at the other in amazement as the boy finished with a grin. Suddenly, the playmaker could feel the weight that had been pulling his body down was lifted away. The boy was immediately was reminded of the first time he met the fellow brunet, when he put his hand over his chest and show him the right way to go. The older male lifted his hand to where his heart was again and finally smiled.

That's right. He had always known the answer in here. He was just too afraid to follow where his heart led him…

Not anymore.

"… Let's go Tenma."

* * *

However, when they finally reached the stadium, the pink hair male and his daughter were no longer there. There was only Tsuguri who was standing there with a sore face.

"What took you guys so long…?" The dark striker grumbled when he saw the duel coming. "He already went away…!"

Tenma widened his eyes in surprise. "Eh…? I thought you said you were going to delay him…?"

A slight blush could be spotted on the forward's face when he heard the statement. "That was because you guys were as slow as snails…" The boy resorted to complaining. There was no way he would ever admit that he had lost the ball only after the defender's third attempt, especially not to Tenma…

"Did he say that he would go home…?"

"Not really…"

"I see… I will go and look for them now."

Shindou was about to zoom away but suddenly stopped when he remembered something. The older male turned back to his friends and smiled gratefully.

"Tsurugi, Tenma… thank you." And with that, he swung and dashed to the door of the stadium, leaving behind his two friends who were both smiling silently at their senior too.

"Go get them, Shindou Senpai…"

* * *

Kirino was walking home slowly, carrying his daughter gently with his hands. A day full of excitement had taken away all of the young girl's energy, and she ended up falling asleep in her father's arms. The pink hair male had walked around the neighborhood for hours now, reluctant to actually go home, knowing that this might very well be the last time he could be with her like this.

He knew that if he fought against her grandparents, he would definitely lose. The court would never trust him, someone who wasn't even related to her, over the people of her own blood. Akane's parents had more than enough money to hire a lawyer to support them legally in these things. And the old couple wouldn't hesitate to take him down if they had to… Mr Yamana's eyes had already said that more clearly than any word could ever express...

And even though he didn't want to lose her, the last thing he would do was making her see how her father get destroyed by her own loved ones…

_I can't do that to her…_

When the sky started to get dark and the freezing wind began to overtake the air around them, the boy had no choice but to head toward his house after seeing his daughter shivered her body slightly. Kirino squeezed his arms around her more to keep her warm, but the closer he was to the little girl, the harder it was for him to think about tomorrow. His azure eyes stared sadly at Utau's angelic sleeping face before he closed them down and he tightened his embrace.

A pain expression slit through his face...

_Why…? Why does things have to turn out like this…?_

"Kirino…?"

The pink hair male froze at his spot when he heard the familiar voice. The boy raised his face up to see a shadow standing in front of his home.

"Kirino, you are here."

The figure called again as he stepped out of the dark. And the moment his suspicion was confirmed under the moonlight, the defender widened his eyes.

_God… Why did you send him here now…?_

The boy took a step back when he felt the other advancing. A surprise expression ran across Shindou's face. However, before the taller boy could come any closer, Kirino lowered his head and let out with a broken voice. "You are too late…" The brunet stopped in his track in confused. He watched as his best friend kept his face away with a painful expression…

When Kirino finally looked up at him again, his azure eyes were filled with tears as he said with a sad smile.

"It's too late…"

However, the very next moment, Kirino had already found himself the brunet's arms. The playmaker whispered into his ears as he held both him and the little girl tightly. "Let's just go in first ok… You are freezing…" Only now did the defender realize that his hands were shaking slightly around Utau's body. He was so worried about the young girl to actually notice that his body was becoming vulnerable the cold too.

"Please… Kirino…"

The pleading tone in his friend's voice made the pink hair male unable to refuse. So he just nodded slightly and let go of the subject for now.

* * *

After he tugged his daughter into the bed, Kirino closed the door behind him and went back to the living room where his friend was. The boy stopped at the door as he watched the brunet silently.

_Why did I lose control of myself like that…?_

He thought when he remembered what just happened at the front of his house. The next moment however, the playmaker turned back and saw him. The brunet was a bit surprised at first but then his face softened and the boy gave him a tender smile before walking towards him.

"Are you ok…?"

Shindou asked when he reached out to hold his best friend's shoulder gently. However, the boy just lowered his face and fixed his eyes on the floor without saying anything.

"Kirino… I-"

"If you come back for her, it's too late…"

The prodigy widened his eyes at his best friend's firm statement. The pink hair male looked up again at him.

"Akane's parents… they will come and take her tomorrow."

… Shock would be an understatement. Shindou was speechless at the sudden news. He looked at the pink hair boy in pure wonder. However, the playmaker's eyebrows narrowed the very next second when he noticed something didn't seem right.

"And you are ok with this…?"

The defender's body stiffened at the question. Nevertheless, the boy refused to let the other overwhelm him with his sharp stare. It took him a while, but the boy finally managed to let out an almost inaudible yes… He was about to spring away but the brown hair male immediately held him still by the arm.

"Don't lie to me Kirino…"

"I told you I'm fine! What else do you want me to say…!"

Kirino's voice was starting to raise out of control. The boy tried to yank his hand away, not wanting to continue this soon-to-be-argument with his friend, but his every efforts was fruitless as the other kept his grip firmly on his arm.

"Let me go Shindou!"

"You are not alright…! Stop saying that you are fine!"

There was nothing Kirino wanted more than to escape from the brunet right now. The last thing he wanted was to burst out his true feelings, showing his vulnerable side to the one he loved. But the more he tried to get away, the more determined the other became to rescue the boy from his own shell. And soon enough, his mask finally cracked open.

"Fine…!"

The pink hair male said as he finally threw away his efforts and stopped jerking his arm. Shindou was a little taken aback by the boy's sudden give in. But he was even more stunned when he saw tears starting to come out of his friend's eyes.

"What do you want me to do…?" The pink hair male asked silently as he lowered his face.

"Someone like me who isn't even related to her… how can I say that I understand her feelings when we don't even look alike… how can I know what to say if she comes home one day, insecure about her appearances… she… she doesn't need me… I'm not her real father…"

By the time he spoke the final words, the boy's tears had already streamed down across his face. No matter how much he tried, Kirino just couldn't stop them from overflowing from his eyes.

"I can't do this… I can't do this alone Shindou…"

Kirino let out desperately as he leaned against the wall behind him. The words that he just uttered took away all of the strength he had. Every feeling, every insecure thought that he had spent two years trying to keep hidden under his mask now came bursting out along with his tears. He didn't even care to hold them back in front of the brunet anymore…

The boy was so overwhelmed by his emotions that he couldn't notice his friend was slowly closing their distance. Before Kirino even realized how close his friend was, the playmaker had already pressed their lips together gently.

Shock was not nearly enough to describe the pink hair male's feeling in that moment… He was completely stunned. His azure eyes still widened even when the brunet had pulled back from the kiss. However, before the defender could figure out what just happened, Shindou had already pulled the completely dazzle boy closer to his body.

"I didn't come back just for Utau…"

The prodigy breathed out quietly as he held the other in his arms.

"… I… I came back for you too Ranmaru…"

His embraced tightened when he uttered the boy's first name. How long had it been since the last time he could say it like that…?

Kirino could feel tears running from his eyes again when he heard those words. The defender wrapped his own hands around the other's back, buried his face into the boy's shoulder as his tears drench the fabric of his friend's shirt. Yet, it didn't stop him from crying even more.

"She loves you… She doesn't care whether or not you guys are related… You are her father, that's all she knows and that's all she needs Ranmaru… And you are not alone… from now on, I'll always be here..."

The pink hair boy opened his eyes when a hand lifted his face up and caressed it gently. Shindou ran his fingers across the boy's cheek, brushing whatever left of his tears away. The brunet once again leaned in and pressed his lips on the other's forehead.

"Let's be a family together..."

The playmaker finished with a tender smile, looking at his friend lovingly with lightened up eyes. Kirino closed his eyes when he could feel the burden in his chest were lifted away magically at the other's words. No expression could be enough to describe the warm feelings that were spreading through his entire body right now… finally knowing that there was someone he could rely on, someone that he could share everything with, that he wasn't alone.

Their lips met again in a passionate touch. A whispering ok was heard when the former defender parted away for air before the other pulled him close again with happy smile.

* * *

"I'm sorry…"

The playmaker opened his eyes when he heard Kirino's voice.

"About what…?"

The brunet asked tenderly as he brought a hand up to the boy leaning on his body and ran its fingers through the pink lock there, finding himself enjoy the feeling…

"About what happened back then… with Kariya…"

Brown eyes widened a bit at the sudden confession, but the boy still waited patiently for the other to continue.

"I… I loved you… a lot. But you never seemed to notice my affection… even though we were close, I never thought that you would return my feelings… and Kariya… he was always there…"

Now that the playmaker thought about it, the blue hair boy never wasted even a slight chance to snatch the defender away from him back then. And as annoyed and bothered as he was, he was being too much of a coward to actually do something until...

"That night, was just a weak moment… I never thought that it would break us apart like that… t-that's why I broke up with him afterwards… But by then, you were already…"

The pink hair boy's voice halted midway as he stared at the floor with sad eyes. The defender looked up, however, when he felt two arms circling themselve around his waist and pressed him even closer to the other's chest.

"I'm sorry too…"

This time, it was Kirino's turn to eye his best friend curiously. "For what…?"

The brunet only smiled as he lifted the boy's chin up and pressed their lips together.

"For being an idiot and not daring to say I love you too…"

He said when they finally parted, making the other freeze for one moment to process the words before letting out a quiet laugh in relief. Shindou smiled too, tenderly at his love.

"Let's go together tomorrow…"

The defender closed his eyes and smiled.

"Alright…"

* * *

The next day, the two of them asked their friends to look after Utau and came to see Akane's parents together. After a moment of silence, Kirino finally told them about his decision. And of course, the older couple didn't want give up without a fight. They argued for hours, using all kinds of persuasion, insistence and eventually even threats. But no matter what was thrown at him, the pink hair male didn't waver even a bit. And during the whole time, Shindou never let go of his hand.

But the grandparents were just as stubborn. They refused to let go of the idea. Just as the conversation was about to reach its peak, the door was slam open, startling all of them. And walking was a certain dark striker and Tenma, who was carrying the little wavy hair girl on his back.

"There's someone who you guys forget to ask for opinion…"

Tsuguri said simply as the brunet let Utau down on her feet.

"Utau chan, tell them what you told me earlier ok…"

The brown hair boy told her with a smile. The little girl looked at him with her ground lavender eyes before nodding obediently. She then ran to Kirino's side, flinging her arms around his neck as he picked her up.

"I want to live with daddy…!"

Utau said with her most cheerful voice as she squeezed herself against the warmth of her father. And that became the end of their discussion. No matter how dead set they were about the idea, the grandparents just couldn't force their innocent grandchild to live with them against her will.

After they came to the brunet's home (since it was closer), the couple said their thank you to their juniors. And Shindou dropped some hints for Tsuguri about a certain someone's crush, making the fellow brunet blush silently behind his back. As the new family walked into the prodigy's house, Tenma whispered to Tsuguri.

"Uhm… when are we going to tell them about the coach's decision to invite Kirino-senpai into the National Team…?"

"There's no need to…." The dark striker said simply. "The old man already saw what he could do yesterday. It won't be long until he sends him the official letter. And then, Shindou will take care of the rest… Right now I'm worrying about something else though..."

"Huh…? What is it?"

The brunet asked, titling his head to a side. However, the boy flinched when he saw the striker swiftly swung back and glared at him.

"You can tell Shindou, but you can't tell me!?"

"H-huh? T-Tsurugi, W-What are y-"

"Don't play dump with me...! That guy's attitude just said it all! Do you know how long have I waited for you? And now, you are telling me you can tell a guy whom you just met again after six years, and still can't say it to my face!?"

The Ex-Seed blurted out with a more-than-just-annoyed expression as he quickly advanced at the other, making the boy step back with cold sweats dropping down from his face. But by the time he realized he realized he was being cornered, the taller male had already slammed his hands into the wall to trap the boy in.

Tenma widened his eyes when the forward said with a serious face.

"I'm not going to wait here for _eight long years_ like that guy… Not when I know that your feeling is the same."

_The same…?_

That was the only thought that could go through the brunet's mind at that moment. He was completely speechless and confused. What was Tsurugi talking about…? Was he talking about his own feeling? Than does this mean…

"Agh! Screw this...!"

The striker had already reached his limit before the other had time to probably work out his thoughts. He quickly pulled the boy in and pressed their lips together deeply. The smaller boy widened his eyes for one second before squeezing them shut, clutching his hands onto the other's shirt.

When Tsurugi finally pulled back, the smaller boy's face was already decorated with an enormous blush. His eyes stretched out in daze when the forward squeezed their body together again, holding the boy tightly in his arms.

"I-I- I-love you…"

Tenma finally stuttered out. The red marks on his cheeks intensified even more when the words escaped from his mouth. The boy was too embarrassed to actually look into the other's eyes, so he hid away his face into the striker's shirt.

Tsurugi finally smiled.

"Idiot… What took you so long…?"

He said quietly into the other's ear, making the boy's blushes reddened even further at the reply.

"… _I love you too…"_

* * *

"Has she fallen asleep…?"

Shindou asked as he opened the door silently to walk into room. The pink hair male looked up at him with a small smile. "Yeah… This is the first time she sleeps in such a spacious bed after all."

The boy stood up from his spot, turning the light off before he walked out with his boyfriend and closed the door behind them.

After Shindou changed his clothes, the playmaker looked to the balcony of his own room to see the defender standing outside, looking up to the dark sky that was lightened by stars. The brunet walked silently behind Kirino, circling his arms around the other's waist, making the boy let out a small tender laugh.

"What are you doing out here…?" The taller male asked, holding his friends in his arms.

Kirino answered with a quiet voice. "Thanking…" The boy widened his eyes a bit in amuse. He gently turned the defender around so that he would face him, caressing the boy's face lovingly with his fingers as he asked again with a small smile.

"For what…?"

Azure eyes softened at the other's tender touch. "Bringing your daughter into my life…" He cupped the hand on his face with his own. "... and leads me back to you."

"Our daughter…" The brunet corrected his love softly, bringing the boy to laugh silently in agreement. The pink hair male then closed his eyes and leaned in. And Shindou accepted it happily, squeezing his arms around the other to bring him closer.

As they parted away for one moment, Kirino confessed quietly into the brunet's ear.

"I love you... Takuto…"

The other replied with a smile before kissing his love again.

"I love you too…"

…

_Let's be a family, together this time._

… _yes_


End file.
